Leather-punching machine.



No. 663,949. Patented 1m. l8, I900.

.1. WESTER.

LEATHER PUNGHING MACHINE.

(Application filed. July 3, 1899.) (No Model.)

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. Patented Dec. I8, 1900. J. WESTER. LEATHER PUNGHING MACHINE.

(Application flled July 3, 1899.)

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' ATENT Fries.

JOHN WESTER, OF TRIUMPH, MINNESOTA.

LEATHER-PUNCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,949, dated December 18, 1900.

Application filed July 3, 1899. Serial No. 722,649. (No model.)

To on 111700711 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN VVESTER, of Triumph, Martin county, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather-Punching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to machines for punching holes in leather or similar material preparatory to sewing or stitching the same; and the objects of the invention are, first, to provide a machine wherein a hole may be punched in several thicknesses of leather at one operation, rendering the machine par-' ticularly adapted for punching holes in harness tugs or traces preparatory to sewing the edges thereof; second, to provide means for automatically feeding or advancing the material into the machine between the strokes of the punching or perforating device; third, to provide means in connection with the punching mechanism whereby the automatic feed may be controlled and the distance between the holes, and consequently the length of the stitches, regulated, and, fourth, to provide a simple compact device easily operable by foot power, inexpensive to manufacture, and consequently within the reach of all harnessmakers and leather-workers.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved punching-machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the Fig. 3 is a plan view with the cap or cover removed, showing the operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of a portion of the machine on the line 2 z of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the casing on the line m a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the casing with cover removed. 7

In the drawings, 2 represents-an upright standard 'having a base 3 and a flat top 4, whereon the punching and feeding mechanism hereinafter described is preferably located. The parts 3 and 4 may be integral with the standard 2 or not, as preferred, and I have shown a curved standard 5 secured at the upper end of the base 3 for supporting the mechanism upon awork-bench, but other means may be employed, if preferred.

I prefer to mount the feeding or punching mechanism upon the flat top and inclose it by side plates 7 7 and end plates 8 8, secured to and projecting above the edgesof said top, the side plates being grooved near their upper edges to receive a sliding cover 7, which when closed conceals the punching mechanism and protects it from dust and injury.

For operating the feeding and punching devices I provide a vertical shaft 8, mounted in bearings in the base 3 and top 4, the upper end of said shaft projecting above said top and having a horizontal cam 1t secured thereon, said cam being provided with a straight edge 16 and a curved edge 16 and provided on one side near its edge with an upright pin 17, having an ant-ifriction-roller 18. This cam is operated as the shaft 8 is revolved, and for operating said shaft I prefer to provide a horizontal pulley 9 on the lower end of the shaft, said pulley having a grooved peripheral surface to which, as shown in Fig. 3, one end of a rope 10 is secured. From the point where the rope is secured to the pulley it passes partially around the same and thence to a smaller pulley 11, supported upon a bracket 12 in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of said horizontal pulley, and from thence the rope passes to a treadle,

by the operation of which said shaft may be partially revolved. To return the shaft to its normal position after the release of the treadle, I prefer to provide a coil-spring 13 on said shaft between the base 3 and the top 4, the lower end of said spring fitting within an opening in said base and its upper end being connected to a ring or collar 14 on said shaft and adjustable by means of a set-screw 15.

This construction permits the tension of the spring to be regulated at will. On the top at, near the cam 16, is a guide-bar 20, between which and the side plate 7 is a guideway whereon a block 21 is slidable. This block is provided at one end with a guiding-stud 20, adapted to slide within a hole in one of the end plates 8, and at its opposite end said block is provided with an awl 19, adapted to slide in the hole or opening 19" in the other end plate and engage the material to be punched. A recess 22 is provided in said I block 21 to receive the antifriction-roller 18 position shown in Fig. 3, with the antifriction-roller 18 just entering the recess 22 in said block. Then as the cam continues its movement the block 21 will be moved over the guide-bar 20, advancing the awl 19 and projecting it through the opening 19 in the end of the box and into engagement with thematerial between the jaws. On the return movement of the shaft and cam the block 21 and awl will be drawn back to their normal position, guided by the part 20, sliding in the opening in the end of the box.

The mechanism heretofore described serves to punch holes in the material as it is fed through the machine; but it is desirable also to provide means operating in connection with the punching mechanism for automatically feeding the material a certain predetermined distance each time the punching mechanism is operated. With this end in view I prefer to provide a feed-plate 23, adapted to rest upon the top 4, beneath the cam 16, and having an opening 24, through which the shaft 8 extends. This opening I have shown camshaped; but it may be of any preferred form, provided it is of sufficient size to receive the shaft and the shoulder thereon and allow the partial revolution of said shaft when the deviceis in operation. The plate 23 on one side of said opening is provided with a shoulder 24, and a guiding and pivoting stud 25 is provided on one end of said plate and is adapted to slide within an opening in the end of the box. Opposite the stud 25 said plate is provided with a shouler 28, projecting upwardly into the plane of the cam 16 in position to be engaged thereby when the shaft is oscillated. Near the shoulder 28 the plate 23 is provided with a feed-claw 29, adapted to be projected through the opening 19" to engage the material and feed it forward past the awl. The maximum width of the plate 23 is somewhat less than the width of the box, and the plate is thus permitted to oscillate laterally, turning on the stud 25 as a pivot, and the degree of lateral movement or oscillation of said plate isregulated by a set-screw, hereinafter described. The plate 23 is normally held in a retracted position by a spring 30, and when at rest the straight edge 16 of the cam 16 will be opposite and parallel with the shoulder 28. During the first part of the stroke of the cam its curved surface will engage the shoulder 28 and advance the plate 23 against the tension of its spring, projecting the claw 29 through the opening 19 and into the material to be operated on. To feed the material forward after the claw has been forced into it, I provide means for oscillating the feed-plate, which consists in providing a shoulder 2 t on said plate to be engaged by a shoulder 31, provided on the under surfaceof the cam 16 and projecting into the opening 24. When the claw has been advanced into the material to be punched, the shoulder 31 will come in contact with the inclined 'surface of the shoulder 24 and move the feedplate laterally until the material has been advanced the desired distance.

The movement of the feed-plate is illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein it is shown at the limit of its lateral movement toward the left. The cam 16.is at this time about to engage the block 21 and advance the awl into the material, during which operation the feedplate is firmly held by the engagement of the extended surface of the shoulder 31 with the shoulder 24, provided on said plate.

When the cam 16 has reached the limit of its stroke and the awl has been forced through the material, the operator, releasing the treadle, will permit the spring 13 to return the shaft and cam to their normal positions. During the first part of the return movement of said cam the awl will be withdrawn to its normal position, and the feed-plate 23, after being disengaged from the shoulder 31, will be retracted to its'normal position by the spring 30. The cam 16, in connection with the shoulder 31, has three functions with each depression of the operating-treadle-first, to engage the shoulder 28 and advance the claw into engagement with the material to be punched; second, the shoulder 31 engages the shoulder 24 on the feed-plate and moves said plate laterally to advance the material past the awl, and, third, the roller 18, provided on the cam, engages the block 21 and slides the awl forward, forcing it through the material between the jaws.

It is frequently desirable to punch holesin the material different distances apart, and I therefore provide means for regulating the travelof the feeding mechanism, which consists in a screw 32, provided in the side'of the box and having its inner end in engagement with the curved edge 33 of the plate 23, and by moving said screw in or out the lateral stroke or travel of said plate may be regulated and the feed increased or diminished, as desired, and in consequence the distance between the holes punched in the leather or other material and the length of the stitches varied. To prevent the screw from working loose, I provide a semicircular spring 34, having a central longitudinal opening to receive the shank of the screw and secured at one end to the outside of said box and provided at its opposite end with a stud to enter a hole provided at an intermediate point in the shank of a hand or indicator 35, that is in turn provided near its end with a pin loosely fitting in a hole in the side of the box near the free end of said spring. It is obvious that as the screw 32 is moved in or out the free end of said spring will be moved back and forth over the side of the box, causing the indicator to describe an are over a scale 36, which, being suitably graduated to correspond to the movement of the screw and consequent length of stroke of the feed mechanism, will permit the operator to determine the proper adjustment of the screw to produce a certain number of holes to the inch in the material that is being punched.

Upon the end 8 of the box, through which the feed claw and awl are projected, I provide extensions or arms 37 and opposite them a movable jaw 38, having a shank 39, provided with a threaded end and fitting within a hollow arm 40, that is supported upon an upright standard 44, which at its lower end has a horizontal extension 45, slidable within a socket in said base 3 and held in position by a key fitting within a longitudinal slot 46. By means of a set-screw 46' the part 45 may be secured in any desired position. The threaded end of the shank 39 projects beyond the hollow arm 40 and is provided with a screw-cap 41, and between the inner end of said arm and said jaw 38 is a curved spring 42, the tension of which may be regulated by turning the screw-cap 41 back and forth on the threaded end of the shank 39. I prefer to provide ribs 47 and 48 upon the stationary and movable jaws to enter the creases in the tug and aid in guiding the same through the machine.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The leather or other material having been placed between the jaws, the operator de' presses the treadle, and the shaft 8, beginning to revolve, moves the cam 16 into engagement with the shoulder 28 and advances the plate 23 against the tension of the spring 30, projecting the feed-claw through the opening 19" into engagement with the material to be punched. At this point the shoulder 31 engages the shoulder 24 of the plate 23, moving the plate 23 to the left and advancing the feed-claw and the material across the path of the awl. The shoulder 31 then engages the shoulder 24, locking the plate 23, and while said plate is thus locked the roller 18 enters the recess 22, and during the last part of the movement of said cam the awl is advanced over the guideway through the opening 19 and through the material between the jaws. When the operator releases the treadle, the spring 13 will return the shaft and cam to their normal positions, withdrawing the awl and permitting the spring 30 to draw back the plate 23. By adjusting the screw 32 the operator may regulate the lateral travel or movement of the plate 23 and with the aid of the indicator and scale determine how many holes to the inch will be punched in the material.

In various ways the details of construction may be modified by any one skilled in the art, and I do not therefore Wish to be confined to the particular construction herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I

claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with an oscillating shaft and means for operating the same, of a cam mounted thereon, a feed-plate 23 provided beneath said cam and having an opening through which said shaft extends, a shoulder 28 provided on said plate and operated by said cam during the first part of its stroke, a shoulder 31 provided on the under side of said cam and extending into the opening in said plate and engaging the edge thereof during the intermediate part of the stroke of said cam whereby said plate is moved laterally to feed the material through the machine, and a sliding awl having a block 21 that is operated by said cam during the last part of its stroke to actuate said awl, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a standard 2 having a base 3, and a fiat top 4, of an upright shaft mounted in hearings in said base and top, a treadle, suitable connections between said shaft and treadle whereby the former may be rotated through a portion of a revolution, means for returning said shaft to its normal position, a plate provided on said top and having a cam-shaped opening through which said shaft extends, a claw provided on said plate, a cam fixed on said shaft above said plate and engaging the same during the first part of the movement of said shaft to advance said claw, and a sliding awl supported on said top and actuated by said cam after the movement of said plate, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a frame and base, of a stationary jaw supported thereon, an upright standard having an angular arm which is slidably supported in said base and having a horizontal extension opposite said stationary jaw, a movable jaw having a threaded shank fitting within a socket in said extension, a cap provided on the threaded end of said shank and a spring provided between said movable jaw and said standard, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with an oscillating shaft and means for operating the same, of a feed-plate having an opening to receive said shaft, a shoulder having a claw-face provided on said feed-plate, a cam secured on said shaft above said feed-plate and adapted to engage said shoulder and advance said feed-plate, a shoulder 31 provided on said shaft beneath said cam and adapted to engage said feed-plate on one side of the opening therein to move said plate laterally and advance the material and lock said plate during the forward movement of the awl, means for returning said plate to its normal position when disengaged from said shoulder 31 and a sliding awl provided in the path of said cam and adapted to be advanced thereby after the lateral or feed- IIO ing movement of said plate, substantially as described.

5-. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a box or casing, of an upright shaft projecting into the same, means for oscillating said shaft, a feed-plate having an opening to receive the upper end of said shaft, a guiding and pivoting stud for said feed-plate, a cam provided on said shaft above said feed-plate and adapted to advance said plate longitudinally when said shaft is oscillated, a shoulder 31 provided on said shaft beneath said cam to engage said feed-plate within the opening therein to move said plate laterally during the intermediate part of the stroke of said cam and to lock the same during the last part of the stroke of said cam, a sliding awl adapted to be actuated by said cam during the last part of its stroke and returned to its normal position during the first part of the return stroke of said cam, and means for returning said feed-plate to its normal position when released by said shoulder 31, substantially as described.

6. The combination With a box or casing,

of the feed-plateprovided therein, means for moving said feed-plate longitudinally to advance it into engagement with the material to be operated upon, means for moving said plate laterally to feed the material, a setscrew 32 providedin the wall of said casing and adapted to limit the lateral stroke or movement of said plate, a spring 34 secured to the .Wall of said casing and having a slot to receive said screw, an indicator-hand 35 pivoted on the free end of said spring 34 and also on the wall of said box and adapted to be moved over a scale as said spring is operated by the movement of said set-screw, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a box or casing, of an oscillating shaft projecting through the bottom of the same, a feed-plate having an opening to receive the upper end of said shaft, aguiding and pivoting stud provided on said feed-' plate and fitting loosely within a socket in the wall of said box, a spring for normally holding said feed-plate in a retracted position, a cam provided on said shaft and adapt ed to actuate said feed-plate longitudinally against the tension of said spring, and means provided on said shaft to engage the edge of said feed-plate Within the opening therein during the intermediate part of the stroke of said cam to oscillate or move said plate laterally on its pivoting-stud and advance or feed the material to be punched, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a horizontal box or casing, of a vertical shaft projecting into the same, means for oscillating said shaft, a feed-plate adapted to slide on the bottom of said box and having an opening to receive the upper end of said shaft and provided With a shoulder 28, a guiding and pivoting stud 25 also 7 provided on said feed-plate and slidable in an opening in a Wall of said box, a cam mounted on said shaft and adapted to engage said shoulder to advance said feed-plate longitudinally, a shoulder 31 provided on said shaft beneath said cam and adapted to engage said feedplate within the opening therein during the intermediate part of the stroke of said cam to move said plate laterally on its pivotingstud, a sliding awl adapted to be actuated by said cam during the last part of its stroke and returned to its normal position during the first part of the return stroke of said cam, and means for returning said feed-plate to its normal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of June, 1899. 

